1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to operating an aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for operating an aircraft with standby systems.
2. Background
Aircraft systems include increasingly more electronic systems. These electronic systems are used to navigate the aircraft, communicate with an air traffic controller (ATC), communicate with an airline operation center, and control operation of different aircraft systems. Electronic systems in the aircraft may include computers, sensors, routers, controllers, and other types of electronic systems. Aircraft systems that may be controlled include propulsion systems, environmental systems, lighting systems, fuel systems, hydraulic systems, and other types of systems.
Many of these electronic systems are part of the avionics of an aircraft. The avionics of an aircraft include, for example, communications systems, navigation systems, aircraft monitoring systems, aircraft flight control systems, weather systems, collision avoidance systems, radar systems, and other suitable types of systems. In designing these electronic systems, integration of components, functions, or a combination of the two for the different electronic systems with other electronic systems has occurs. This integration may be performed to reduce weight, cost, build time, and other factors.
For example, navigation and weather systems may share display devices, computational functions, or both. Information from both of these systems may be displayed on the same display devices at the same time or different times. Additionally, different systems may share computers or processor units, software functions, or a combination of the two.
Integrating electronic systems with each other may reduce the weight, cost, and build time for a system. The integration of systems into an integrated system may result in hardware, software, and/or other components being shared by more than one function. The integration may result in more than one function being affected in the integrated system when one or more components do not function as desired.
For example, if components supporting a function in the integrated system do not operate as desired, the function may not operate as desired. Additionally, other functions in the integrated system that use some or all of the same components also may be affected and may not operate as desired. For example, when components for communications in the integrated system do not operate as desired, navigation also may be affected.
As a result, increased redundancy may be needed to provide desired functions when one or more functions in an integrated system do not operate as desired. As a result, the weight, cost, and build time for an aircraft may be increased in providing the desired redundancy.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.